Flexible coupling for shafts.



J. A WHITE. FLEXIBLE GOUYLING POE SHAPTS.

TILED Patented Jan. 17, 1911.

2 BKEETB-BHEET 1.

J. A. WHITE.

FLEXIBLE COUPLING FOB SHAFTS.

Patented Jan. 17, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES Parana JOSEPH A. WHITE, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE MOORE AND WHITE COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

FLEXIBLE CQUPLING FOR SHAFTS.

Application filed February 9, 1910.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrlr A; \Vnrrn, a

citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Flexible Couplings for Shafts, of which the .following is a specification.

One object of my invention is to provide means for flexibly coupling two shafts, and a further object of the invention is to so construct thecoupling means that it can be used in connection with clutch mechanism, in order that the clutch will operate properly even if the shafts are slightly out of between these two shafts is the coupling disk 0.

Dis a fixed clutch member which is secured to the shaft A in any suitable manner. Adapted to slide longitudinally on this clutch member is the clutch ring D.

Il'is a sliding sleeve which is shifted by any suitable mechanism, and this sleeve is connected to levers F by links 0. These levers are fulcrul'ned at f on the section D of the clutch, and passing through the two clutch members and the levers are bolts d having springs cl which separate the clutch members assoon as released from the control of the levers.

Mounted between the two clutch members I), I) is the clutch disk G,'having friction blocks g located in sockets at intervals, as,

showlrin Fig. 4. This clutch disk is loose on the. shaft and, in the present instance, is located at the extreme end of the shaft.

13 is a collar secured to the shaft B. The coupling disk C is located between the ends Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 17, 1911 Serial No. 542,833.

of the two shafts, as illustrated iii Fig. 1, and is notched at (1, there being four notches in the present instance. On the hub of the clutch disk G are two projections g which extend into twoofthe notches in the cou" pling disk C, and on the collar B 'are tw projections Z), I) which enter the other two notches c, c in the disk C. By this construction the clutch disk G is positively A coupled to the collar B and the shaft B, and in ordinary clutches of this type it is essential that the two shafts A and B shall be absolutely in alinement, but by the above construction it is not necessary that the two shafts be absolutely in line, as the notches in the coupling disk are of such a depth that 5 the projections g and Z) each has inde pendent movement; the projections fitting snugly between the sides of the recesses, so that there is no rattle dueto lost motion.

It will be understood that while I have shown my invention as applied to a clutch of a given type, it can be used with clutches of other types, where a hub or disk is clamped and is connected to a driving-or driven element, or may be used in coupling two shafts where the'clutch is not used.

In order to lubricate the coupling disk I provide ducts c, as illustrated in Fig.2, which lead to the side walls of the notches and communicate with an opening 0 in the periphery of the disk, so ,that oil projected into the opening will flow through the ducts to the bearing surfaces of the disk and thus thoroughly lubricate the parts.

I claim I 1. The combination in a c1utch,of two shafts,' a coupling disk located between the" two shafts, a collar on one shaft, and a clutch disk on the other shaft, said collar and clutch disk having portions engaging the coupling disk, so that while one must turn with the other they have a limited inde-- pendent lateral movement.

2. The combination in a clutch, of two shafts, an intervening coupling disk having notches therein, a clutch member secured to one of the shafts, a clutch disk loosely mounted on said shaft, mechanism for 0011.-

n in the presence phng' the clutch disk to the clutch member, name k0 this spscificz promchuns 0n ilhe clutch disk cxtendmg mm of two gubscrlbmg W1 on he ether Shaft having projections e v inm the notches in the coupling Wii'msses:

M, E. SHUPE, NM. A. BARR.

disk.

In i'nsi'mmm "whereof l have signed my 

